The Plan
by xrightwhereitbelongs
Summary: Chas hasn't been getting much sleep. His dreams keep him awake at night, dreams which have begun to make sense. Events start to unfold and it becomes clear that God has a traitor on his hands. Can Chas unravel this mess before John's time runs out?
1. Nightmares

**Chapter 1 - Nightmares**

Hell.

An elaborate maze of dozens of plains, each one more terrible than the last. He had designed it that way, his intention, to keep all his souls exactly where they were. None of them had any hope, if by some miraculous event they managed to gather the strength to run, avoiding all the demons and braving the scorching heat… they would still be lost! It was sheer ecstasy just thinking of it.

Lucifer had ruled over the inferno from the start of time, some say even before that although many believe that to be impossible. He had once been an angel of God, not just any angel but an archangel, he had great power bestowed upon him but he perverted that power, he grew greedy. No, the great Lucifer would not settle for anything other than ultimate power, he would not sit at God's feet and smile up at him. Lucifer set his plan in motion he would over throw God, he himself taking the thrown. He convinced many of the other angels to join him. He whispered softly into their ears, promising them all the power in the world when he had the thrown. Foolishly, they followed blindly, turning their backs on the true Lord God. Things where going perfectly, Lucifer had his army of angels intent of casting God aside as they believed they were all just as important as he was. They marched to the great white throne and confronted their God. The Lord tried to reason with his subjects but they would not see reason and were adamant that Lucifer should rule. God was displeased and called forth Michael another of his archangels, he told Michael to gather a great army of angels who were willing to fight for him.

So the battle began. Michael and his angels in favour of God and Lucifer and his angels, intent on the destruction of Heaven and all things Holy. They fought hard and they fought long but they did not win. God's angels were too many for Lucifer's few and so God demanded that Michael cast Lucifer and his angels out of Heaven, they were no longer welcome in his kingdom. So Michael did so and the last they saw of Heaven were the great gates slamming in their faces. No longer would they be able to enter the Lords house.

Hell became their home and Lucifer became their ruler. Not happy that mortals were able to enter Heaven and he, an archangel was not, he sent his angels now known as demons to prevent their passage. He gave them the gift of influence, their orders to corrupt as many living souls as possible. He would rule over them all, bringing them great pain and suffering. This was his kingdom and he was their king.

--

It was morning, although the bright morning light did not penetrate the thick drapes, the slight glow of light crept in around the edges, irritating John enough to force him from his bed. He stumbled to the dresser pulling a pair of black pants over his boxers. He clumsily put his socks on, grabbing a white shirt and black tie before making his way into the living room.

John Constantine was not a happy man. He despised leaving the comfort of his bed, especially since sleeping was so difficult for him. Waking was like a slap in the face, turning his mood sour before the day had even began. John poured himself a large whiskey, pulling his shirt and tie on before taking a large gulp. Breakfast. Or so he called it.

He had a million things he needed to do, he was in need of a very rare artefact and there was only one place he could get it from. Midnite's. God that man drove a hard bargain; no doubt it would cost him an arm and a leg, only adding to the foulness of his mood. He also had a book that needed to be translated; maybe he could persuade Chas to do it for him. The kid was always going on about how he wanted to help. Speaking of which, he had better get a move on. There was no way John was walking and for the twentieth time the kid was late. John lit a cigarette, taking a long savouring drag. Really these were the only things keeping him going. What he would do without them, he didn't know.

An hour and a half later Chas had finally shown up. John thrust his bag at the boy, making his way down to the cab on the street bellow. Occasionally he would feel some kind of pang of guilt about how he treated the boy but it was pretty short lived. Chas had come to him, asking to be his apprentice, not the other way around. If he was going to be any kind of help to John he would have to learn the hard way. It just so happened that John made it several times harder.

They finally pulled up beside the club, John exited fully expecting Chas to follow but he did not. He just looked blankly in front of him, oblivious to John's presence beside his window. Come to think of it, John had never seen Chas so quiet. He had barely said two words on the drive over here. The usual joke filled ride was instead filled with silence as John smoked in the back. John shrugged to himself. If the kid didn't want to come it just meant less time arguing on the street and more time getting down to business.

"I won't be long." He stated, not really expecting any kind of reply.

Chas finally snapped out of his trance, he looked a little surprised to see John on the sidewalk. His only reply was a shrug of his shoulders and a very weak smile. John felt another pang of guilt but he didn't have time for this right now. He'd talk to the kid later.

--

The club was busy, which wasn't unusual even at this time of the day. Midnite's mainly consisted of half-breeds, both angels and demons alike but occasionally there would be a few humans, in this case aside from himself there were none. The heavy rumble of the music was overpowering, the stench of alcohol filled the air. How many times had he drowned his sorrows here? John made his way to the back of the club; he knocked on the heavy door of Midnite's office, waiting for entry. A blast of cool air greeted him as the door swung open, the second it was shut the music melted away into near silence.

"John."  
"Midnite." John replied, taking a seat opposite the witch doctor.  
"It's been a while."  
"I've been pretty busy, mostly I've been avoiding you're ridiculous prices." John said with a small smile.  
Midnite returned this, pouring some amber liquid into a glass both for himself and John.  
"So what can I do for you, John?"  
"I'm looking for the _libri animus._" John replied, taking a sip of his drink.  
"The book of souls?" Midnite asked in confusion.  
"Yes."  
"Such magic, John, what are you planning?" he asked with concern in his eyes.  
"Don't worry nothing big. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. Maybe some redemption."  
Midnite smiled, shaking his head lightly.  
"So you are still trying to buy your way into heaven?" he asked with amusement.  
"There's a chance it could help…"  
"No, John. That book is made up of fairy tails. Nothing more. The magic it posses is only useful to the dead and you my friend, are not yet in that position."  
John snorted. No he wasn't dead, not yet.  
"What's your price?"  
"The book is not for sale, John. It does more harm than good. You have wasted a journey."  
John sighed. Midnite always had to be a know it all bastard. Sure it pissed him off but there was nothing he could do. Giving in to defeat he got up to leave.

--

Chas' eyes stung from lack of sleep. The nightmares had started five day's ago. Five days. It didn't seem like a very long time but those five day's were a lifetime to him. He had probably had twenty hours sleep tops it was driving him mad. Every time he closed his eyes he saw pain and fire. At first he thought he'd been reading too many books, tried giving them a rest, going to bed earlier but they continued rising in their graphicness night by night. The things he saw… they seemed so real but how could they be? He hadn't been able to concentrate on anything lately, he had fallen asleep at the wheel a few times, luckily at traffic lights, avoiding any catastrophes but he knew if this carried on his luck would eventually run out. He was just so tired and scared; he didn't know what to do. John would probably call his insane but he had no one else to share this burden with. Sighing deeply he closed his weary eyes. He would just rest for a second… only a second.

__

"My Lord."  
The creature bowed down low, it's bony back bending unnaturally. It shook violently, afraid of the events it knew were certain to follow. It had failed and now it would pay dearly.  
"Tell me."  
The creature began to shake more violently; the steely voice of his master would be the last thing he was to hear.  
"Things have been put into motion, my Lord. He awaits your orders."  
"Good." The man sounds pleased, yet the look on his face reveals nothing.  
"There's something else…"  
This time it can not keep the fear from creeping into it's voice.  
"What?" He sounds bored; as far as he is concerned the conversation is over he will soon have John Constantine in his grasp.  
"Michael… he was there, he didn't hear anything… but saw us together."  
The man's face turns sour; the displeasure is now very much evident on his face. If this fool has cost him his prize, there will be hell to pay, quite literally.  
"That may be a problem. Go to Balthazar, tell him not to let that feathered bird out of his sight, is that clear? I will not have him snatch Constantine from my grasp."  
Again the creature bowed low, crawling into the fire and rubble near by. It would not fail again.  
The man watched the creature disappear, a cruel smile creeping across his face.  
"John Constantine will be mine."

"CHAS!" John shouted, slamming the door behind him.  
The kid was sleeping, his head resting against the steering wheel. That was all fine and well for Chas but John had places to be.  
Chas' head snapped up, he let out a loud gasp. What the fuck had just happened… that place, was it hell? Had he just been eavesdropping on one of Satan's conversations?  
"John…?" Chas asked wearily, turning to face the exorcist.  
He was still disorientated, wasn't sure what to think. Then he remembered what they had been talking about, Lucifer had been talking about John… everything started to make sense. All of his previous dreams just seemed to fit together like pieces of a puzzle. This wasn't good.  
"Oh Christ John, we're in deep shit."


	2. Wait it out, kid

**Chapter 2 - Wait it out, kid**

Heaven.

Beautiful and pure. The great gates tower above the city of gold, opening only to those who live under his name, those who have lived their lives as they were meant to be lived and have repented for their sins. Thousands of cloaked figures go about their daily business, all dressed in white, heads bowed walking in silence. This was the ultimate peace, mortals reward for enduring the trail of life.

The streets were paved in pure gold, magnificent white buildings lining each side, every jewel imaginable on display, encrusted into fountains and pillars. All this of course was nothing compared to the temple of God. It stood tall and proud, there was no such building like it in the whole of the world. It was made entirely out of gold, constructed long ago. The towering halls were breathtaking each one much more beautiful than the last until finally you came to God's thrown. This room was unlike the rest; roughly, it made up half the size of the entire building and was so much more grand and elaborate. Those who looked upon it were captured in awe. The thrown itself was the focal point; it was the purest white marble, smooth and sleek.

The Kingdom of God was not something that could be described in books, the only way of truly knowing its beauty was to see it with your own eyes, and this was something God was most pleased about. Heaven was a secret, wrapped up in shiny paper and tied with a bow. It was truly a gift to any who received it and the best gifts are those that are kept secret until unwrapped.

--

Gabriel's head was bowed low as he prayed silently to the lord. The church was empty except himself, not a sound could be heard. St. Matthew's had always been a quiet church, in truth not a great deal of people even knew of its existence but it was a real gem. The stained glass window's glistened, casting its many colours around the small room. Many a time had Gabriel been here, there was something about this place, something which made him feel at peace, something which soothed him. This feeling of comfort was not with him today instead he was uncomfortably aware of the weight on his shoulders. He had only experienced this a handful of times but he knew exactly what it meant. Gabriel was being watched from above and that meant only one thing. God had his eyes on Gabriel, he knew something…

Quickly the angel finished his prayer, blessing himself before he stood. He heard the soft thud of the door as a small elderly women entered. She smiled warmly as she passed Gabriel, sitting a few rows ahead of where he had just been. The woman closed her eyes and began her prayers. Gabriel could tell she was worried, knew she had a great trouble on her mind. He thought about going to comfort her but he had many things to do. He did not have time for her sorrow.

It was another glorious day in LA; the sun shone brightly, the sky clear. To Gabriel the weather mattered not, he had only one thing on his mind but with the eyes of the lord following his every move this was going to prove to be much more difficult than he had first imagined. Damn Michael for meddling in affairs he didn't understand. The meeting had been going so well up until he had shown up. Gabriel was certain he hadn't overheard anything but an archangel conversing with hellspawn obviously raised a few eyebrows. No doubt he had run straight to his shepherd, kneeling before the lord and exposing his findings. It was an inconvenience, that much was true but it did not ruin the plan completely. Gabriel was going to have to be very careful to pull this one off but he would succeed, it was only a matter of time.

--

"What do you mean, Chas?" John asked.  
They were in the back of the cab still parked outside Midnite's. Chas looked like shit, poor kid. Dark circles underlined bleary brown eyes, his face was covered in a light mist of sweat and his unruly curls were tangled and messy.  
"I've been having these dreams, dreams I haven't been able to understand. They've been keeping me awake but this one was different. I saw him, John. I saw Lucifer."  
John raised an eyebrow. That explained Chas' appearance, his lateness and lack of concentration but what this had to do with them being in 'deep shit' was unknown to him.  
"In your dream?" he asked warily, unsure where this was going.  
Chas bit his lip; he paused for a moment contemplating what must be said.  
"You're going to think I'm crazy… but I don't think they were dreams, John. I think they were visions."  
"Visions?" John repeated loudly.  
"Of Lucifer?"  
Sighing Chas took a deep breath. This was going to be harder than he first expected, he knew John wouldn't believe him but he couldn't exactly ignore it.  
"Lucifer and a demon, talking… about you."  
"Me?"  
Chas gritted his teeth, John was starting to get on his nerves, was there any need to repeat everything he said?  
"What about me?" the exorcist continued.  
"I… I don't know." Chas hesitated, shaking his head heavily.  
"It's blurry, hard to remember but they're planning something, John. I can feel it."

John nodded. It wasn't impossible that Chas might have had a vision or two but mostly they were meaningless to the person who received them. Physic energy surrounds us all the time but it's a jumbled mass of static, only those with certain gifts can make sense of it, unscramble the signal and read the message. Occasionally there will be a surge in energy allowing a regular person to interpret these messages. Think of these like a cell phone message, you write your message hit send and off it goes, flying, through air, invisible to the naked eye but there all the same. On the way to the recipient it is possible for someone with the right equipment to hack into this message and read it themselves. That's exactly what visions are. Someone hacking into someone else's message, hence it not meaning a god damn thing to them but Chas knows John. The chances of him stumbling upon these visions by accident are practically impossible. If what Chas was saying were true, it would mean someone had to be sending him these messages deliberately and that meant as Chas already said, Lucifer was planning something and that was never good.

--

Chas had been tossing and turning all night, although he was far more exhausted than he had ever been in his life, sleep just would not come. He groaned loudly, rubbing his eyes and once more turned over. John had finally agreed something big was going on, something most likely involving John and hell but there was nothing they could do. They needed more information, needed to find out who was sending Chas these messages. John had sent him home, telling him the only option was for them to wait. 'Wait it out, kid', he had said, patting him on the back. Chas would eventually have another dream and when he did he was under strict instructions to write everything down and call John as soon as he had done that. This of course was great for John; he wasn't the one focusing all his efforts on sleeping and getting nothing in return. Frustration didn't even cover how he was feeling right now. Rolling over onto his back he stared blankly up at the ceiling. Why would anyone want to send him visions, why not just give them to John? Who had Lucifer been talking about? Why had he been able to smell rotting flesh? As he pondered the many questions going through his mind he finally began to slip into a deep sleep.

__

The darkness was blinding, everything was covered in a thick black veil preventing it from being seen. Something stirred in the corner, something that of course couldn't be seen. A man turned quickly perhaps hoping his eyes would somehow be able to see passed all that black. Oh how he hated mind games, unless of course he was the one playing. He straightened his tie continuing down the tiny alley, eager to get this over with as quickly as possible. He scowled in disgust when he heard a crunch under his shoe, why must this be done in such a filthy place. Lucifer was taunting him.  
"Balthazar."  
The voice cut through the dark telling the man he had reached his destination. It smelt like rotten meet and dog shit. He turned his nose up, straightening his tie a second time.  
"What did you find?"  
The voice was uncomfortably close to his ear, he could feel hot breath bathing his flesh.  
"Nothing, he ascended once, said mass and then cured a child. It was truly sickening. He did as he always does, rest assured Michael knows nothing of your plan."  
"You're sure?"  
The words were said slowly, forced upon him.  
A small nod on his part despite the lack of vision.  
"Good, keep an eye on Gabriel I don't want him changing his mind again."  
Balthazar was about to answer but was not allowed that luxury as Lucifer was already gone. He let out a little sigh, making his way back down the filthy alley. Fantastic


	3. Judas

**Chapter 3 - Judas**

Earth.

A plain of chaos and destruction, a world where filth and beauty co-exist side by side. Humanity inhabits this planet, each day experiencing terrible pain and tremendous joy. Each day people collide into one another, sometimes changing them for the better but others for the worse. Humanity are the strangest of creatures some destroying everything in their path, caring not who they hurt, they are so blind to the world and everything it holds. They cannot be saved. Others live their life to the fullest, travelling to distant places, helping those less fortunate than themselves. These are the people who want to change the world for the better. These are the people originally meant to live their life on Earth.

War. Famine. Murder. Rape. Destruction.

God never planned for these events, never saw a need to. He created humans in his image. Perfect, or so he thought. They were supposed to live their lives out in peace but free will proved too much of a trial. God gave them the greatest gift and they abused it, leading to their downfall. Leading them straight to Satan.

--

Clear blue sky sits above tall grey buildings, the heat of the sun baking the pavement bellow. Swirls of grey rise from the many cars driving through the city, polluting the already foul air. Horns honk and the sound of swearing can be heard over the noise of engines. This is LA; the city of Angels, or so they say. In truth there are no more angels here than there are demons, like most things names can be deceiving.

It was mid-morning; city traffic was at its busiest. A boy was curly hair sat amidst the jam of cars, he stared straight ahead, looking yet seeing nothing. He let out a long yawn, stifling it with the palm of his hand. He was so tired; sleep was becoming so difficult these days. After last nights dream he had went for a drink of water, only after he had drank the glass hungrily had he remembered John's words. He was to write the dream down then phone the exorcist immediately, however when he finally put pen to paper it seemed he could not remember a single thing about it. Not who was in it, nor where it was, or what was said. John would not be pleased.

A song pounded from the car adjacent to him, the window was down slightly but the windows were tinted preventing him from seeing inside. It was an expensive looking vehicle; the occupant obviously had more money than sense however, this didn't stop Chas from having an overwhelming wave of jealousy sweep over him. Here he was in his banged up cab, which by the way wasn't even his, and there was that guy sitting in what Chas assumed was one of the world's most expensive cars. It just didn't seem fair. After a few moments the feeling subsided and Chas again felt his exhaustion creep back up on him. No doubt, John would shout at him for his little blunder last night but what could he do.

Suddenly Chas felt eyes upon him, after a few moments of searching his eyes finally focused on the car next to him, the expensive one. The window was now more than half way down giving Chas a very clear view of the person inside. As he had expected the guy had a helluva lot of money. He had flawlessly smooth, tanned skin. Chas assumed at least 500 dollars of his money went into face products. His brown hair was neatly gelled back giving him a professional look. From what Chas could see, the man was wearing a grey pinstriped suit with a blood red tie. It was a good look for him; he most definitely suited the car he was in. For the second time that morning Chas felt jealousy overcome him, that guy probably had the perfect life and here he was running around after John Constantine with nothing more than 2 hours sleep.

Finally, the traffic began moving, giving the boy something to focus on besides the rich guy's car. It didn't take long to get to Bowl Bowl Bowl and John's apartment above. Pulling up to the curb, he took the keys from the ignition, taking a deep breath he prepared himself. It wasn't that he was scared of John… he just didn't want to have to deal with the older mans temper when he felt like shit. Oh well there was no point putting it off, although this didn't stop him from walking extra slowly up the stairs. When he finally did reach the apartment he knocked as quietly as possible, hoping John was too deaf to hear him. No such luck, a few minutes later and he was inside, a grim look on his face.

"What's up kid, you look like shit."

"Thanks." Chas snipped back, trying to find the courage to tell John.

"I was expecting you to call last night, no more dreams?" The exorcist asked absently.

He was rummaging through a large book, which looked like it was written in some ancient language. No doubt, it would be passed down to Chas, when John finally admitted he didn't have a clue what it said or how to read it.

"Erm…" Chas looked away, taking another deep breath trying to prepare himself for what was about to come.

"I did but I couldn't remember what happened, didn't think there was much point calling if I had nothing to tell you." This was all said rather quickly as he found a very interesting stain on the carpet.

John raised an eyebrow; there were no physical signs of aggression. If John was annoyed, he was hiding it well.

"You didn't think to write it down?" There was a slight hint of frustration in his words now.

"I did… I was going to…"

"When?" John interrupted.

"Chas you were the one who thought this was important, you should be taking this seriously!"

"I am!" Now Chas was annoyed. How dare John talk to him like this? He was the one suffering. The one who couldn't sleep, or concentrate on anything.

"I forgot for a second, I went for a drink and when I tried writing it…"

"That's why I told you, Chas, write it down before you do anything else. Its common sense kid, don't you use your brain?"

Chas gritted his teeth, he could deal with John interrupting him, ignoring what he had to say but insulting him?

"It was 4 in the morning, I'd had 2 hours sleep, you try thinking straight when you haven't slept for weeks!" He tried to steady his breathing; he knew he was being irrational. He was supposed to ignore John's snide remarks not rise to them.

"You think that's important? For Christ sake kid, you have no idea what's at stake here. You're not important…"

"I'm not important? I'm not important? How dare you!" Chas was beyond angry now; his face was turning slightly red, his hands shaking.

"Let me finish, kid…"

"NO! I will not let you finish insulting me. You're a selfish bastard John. Everyone kept telling me not to get involved, that it wasn't worth it, that you only cared about yourself. I should have believed them and saved myself the trouble of knowing you."

When he was finished, he stormed from the apartment without so much a second glance at the stunned exorcist behind him. Too infuriated to care.

--

He didn't know how long he'd been driving for. Couldn't bring himself to care. John had pissed him off big time. If it had been any other day, a day he had actually managed to get some sleep, then maybe he wouldn't have reacted the way he had but it didn't matter. John was a self-centred prick, Chas just didn't have the strength to deal with him right now. The lights in front of him turned red and for a split second he pressed harder on the gas… of course his mind finally snapped back into place and he stopped rather suddenly just over the line. He closed his eyes; sighing to himself… he really needed some sleep. When he looked up the same car from this morning was beside him. The window now fully down, the man at the wheel staring at him intently, a small grin on his face. Chas stared back, not really knowing what to say or do. Was it just a coincidence or was this man following him? The man in the car licked his lips, speeding off just as the light turned green. Chas was left staring after him, with an odd feeling of… lust? No… loss? Despair? He couldn't quite place it. His heart felt empty, yet heavy. He shook the feeling off deciding he needed some food.

He found a small café just off Figueroa. It wasn't the nicest place he'd been to but it was cheap and served food. He ordered a cheeseburger and some very strong black coffee. The waitress brought him his food placing a folded napkin next to his hand. Chas began to ask what it was, but it fell on deaf ears as she quickly began cleaning the coffee machine behind the counter. He stared at the folded napkin for almost 2 minutes before slowly opening it. There was just one word scrawled on it, in extremely neat writing. He looked up suddenly again feeling as though he were being watched. The napkin said '_outside_' and as he looked outside there was the car, for the third time that day. The window was no longer down, the tinted window preventing his curious gaze penetrating the glass. He debated weather or not to approach the car, he was more than a little curious now but he was also cautious. In the end, the cheeseburger and coffee proved a little bit too important to leave behind. If the man wanted to talk he would just have to wait, Chas' stomach would not.

After he had finished his food and belched loudly, he threw a few bills on the table, making his way to the door. He felt so much more satisfied now; the tiredness was there but a great deal less than before. He had been so stressed with John's problems and not sleeping he had forgotten to eat. The car was still outside; no doubt, the driver was getting impatient. Chas doubted he had anticipated the boy finishing his greasy cheeseburger before coming out. He smiled slightly, coming up beside the car he was unsure of how to proceed. Who was this man and what could he possible want with Chas? He stared at the tinted glass, squinting to try and see even the slightest shadow from inside the car. It didn't work. He brought his knuckles up to the glass, just about to tap lightly when the window rolled down with a slight buzz.

There he was, he looked exactly as he had earlier, why wouldn't he? Chas bit his lip nervously, he really didn't like the way the man was looking at him.

"What do you want?" His voice shook from the nerves he was feeling.

"Just to talk. Would you like to go for a drive?" The man's voice was as smooth as honey, almost mocking.

Chas eyed him suspiciously; did this guy think he was crazy? Why the hell would he get in a car with some random, probably crazy stalker?

"I just want to talk." He repeated his dark eyes boring into Chas'.

"Talk here."

No matter how much of him wanted to get in that car, he wasn't an idiot. He had lived in LA all his life, he knew what could happen if you let your guard down.

"Okay…"

The man opened his door, exiting the car gracefully. He was taller than Chas and much better looking. Chas felt slightly ridiculous standing next to this well-groomed, neatly presented man, looking the way he did. His jeans were dirty, his shoes had holes in the soles and his hat made him look like a 12 year old. As though just realising the last point he quickly pulled it from him head, stuffing it into his back pocket. This in turn made the man laugh lightly.

"Who are you?" Chas asked irritably. He didn't like being laughed at.

"You can call me Judas." he replied, his grin widening further still.

"Right… well what do you want?"

He laughed again.

"Get in the car, Chas." His voice slightly forceful, low.

At this, he got back into the car and started the engine. It was clear he didn't have time for games, although Chas could argue it was Judas, if that was his name, who was playing the games.

"Why should I, and how do you know my name?"

"Because I have some information for you, regarding the exorcist we both seem to be so fond of."


End file.
